In a continuing effort to improve the quality of shipping fruits, I, the inventor, typically hybridize a large number peach, nectarine, plum, apricot, and cherry seedlings each year. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of nectarine tree, which has been denominated varietally as ‘PEARLICIOUS III’.
The present variety was hybridized by me in 2001 as a first generation cross using ‘Rose Diamond’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,421) nectarine as the selected seed parent and an unnamed white freestone nectarine as the selected pollen parent. I used embryo rescue techniques to germinate the seeds from the fruit of this cross, grew them as seedlings on their own root in my greenhouse, and upon reaching dormancy transplanted them to a cultivated area of my experimental orchard located near Le Grand, Calif., in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley). During the fruit evaluation season of 2003 I selected the present variety as a single tree from the group of seedlings described above. Subsequent to origination of the present variety of nectarine tree, I asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting in the experimental orchard described above, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics were true to the original plant in all respects. The reproduction of the variety included the use of ‘Nemaguard’ (unpatented) rootstock upon which the present variety was compatible and true to type.
The present variety is similar to its selected seed parent, ‘Rose Diamond’ nectarine, by producing nectarines that are nearly globose in shape, firm in texture, and nearly full red in skin color, but is distinguished therefrom by producing fruit that is larger in size, white instead of yellow in flesh color, and that matures about ten days later.
The present variety is most similar to ‘Diamond Pearl’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,242) nectarine, by producing nectarines that are nearly globose in shape, very firm in texture, white in flesh color, and nearly full red in skin color, but is distinguished therefrom by having globose instead of reniform glands, by having a sweet instead of bitter tasting kernel, and by producing nectarines that are freestone instead of clingstone in type.